That Was All That Happened

The Day of the Sun

Arriving early at the limit of understanding,
I managed to find a good seat,
and settled in with the others,
who were fanning away the heat

with their programs full of blank pages.
The orchestra was in place,
and soon the show started.
First, deep space

rose high and flooded the stage,
immersing all the spots
where our thoughts could have fixed
if our minds had thoughts.

Which they didn’t. Then
the sun came out and stood.
That was all that happened,
and ever would.

–Vijay Seshadri

I was introduced to Seshadri’s work through my friend Jessica Bridger who studied with him while she was an undergraduate at Sarah Lawrence. Lucky Jess.

Seshadri was born in India but left when he was small, spending most of his childhood in Columbus, Ohio. His collections include The Long Meadow (for which he won the James Laughlin Award) and Wild Kingdom.